Feeding arrangement for a bar-shaped object

ABSTRACT

A feeding arrangement for a bar of polishing composition provides a support with an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction and adapted to carry the bar for longitudinal sliding movement. Two discs are mounted on the support for rotation in respective planes converging in an upward direction and in the direction of elongation of the supporting face, and rotate about respective axes which pass through the support below the face of the same. The discs flank the two sides of the face.

United States Patent [191 Stahl FEEDING ARRANGEMENT FOR A BAR-SHAPED OBJECT [76] Inventor: Herbert Stahl, Koenigsheimer Str. 12, D-7205 Boettingen, Germany [22] Filed: July 15, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 488,556

[52] US. Cl. 214/1 P; 226/181 [51] Int. Cl. B6511 5/06 [58] Field of Search 214/1 P, 1.1, 338, 339; 226/168, 174, 176, 177, 181-186, 187, 188, 194

[56] References Cited UNTTED STATES PATENTS 747,979 12/1903 Kennedy 226/181 2,050,048 8/1936 Findlater 226/190 X 2,325,063 7/1943 Krueger 226/193 X [451 Dec. 9, 1975 2,583,568 l/1952 Heizer 226/184 X 2,654,182 10/1953 Courtney et al. 226/184 X 3,517,844 6/1970 Wloszek 214/338 Primary ExaminerFrank E. Werner Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Hans Be rman [57] ABSTRACT A feeding arrangement for a bar of polishing composition provides a support with an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction and adapted to carry the bar for longitudinal sliding movement. Two discs are mounted on the support for rotation in respective planes converging in an upward direction and in the direction of elongation of the supporting face, and rotate about respective axes which pass through the support below the face of the same. The discs flank the two sides of the face.

9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,924,755-

US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,924,755

FEEDING ARRANGEMENT FOR A BAR-SHAPED OBJECT the circumference of the rapidly rotating polishing wheel tends to pull the bar from its receptacle, and it needs to be replaced by a fresh bar while a substantial length is still available to provide the necessary hold on the receptacle. It is an object of this invention to provide a feeding arrangement for a polishing bar which permits almost the entire length of the bar to be consumed before the bar needs to be replaced.

The feeding arrangement of the invention includes a support which, in the normal operating position of the feeding arrangement, has an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction and adapted to carry a bar of polishing composition for longitudinal sliding movement of the bar. Two discs oppositely offset from the face transversely to the direction of face elongation are mounted on the support for rotation in respective axes which pass through the support below the face in the normal operating position of the arrangement.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a feeding arrangement of the invention in side elevation; and

FIG. 2 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 1 in front elevation.

The supporting structure of the illustrated feeding arrangement includes a heavy casing 1 whose upright, flat side walls 2, 2 converge toward a front wall 3. The walls 2, 3 and the upright rear wall 5 of the casing 1 also converge upward toward a flat, elongated, rectangular plate 4 which constitutes a top wall of the casing 1 and longitudinally projects beyond the walls 3, 5, the direction of elongation of the plate 4 having a major horizontal component, but rising obliquely from the rear wall 5 toward the front wall 3. The planar top face of the plate 4 carries a rectangular, elongated bar 6 of polishing composition, much softer than the steel which is the material of construction for the other elements of the feeding arrangement. The apparatus illustrated is symmetrical relative to the common, vertical, median plane of the walls 3, 5 except as specifically stated otherwise.

Shafts 7, 9 project at right angles from the two side walls 2, 2' of the casing 1 below the plate 4 and carry respective circular discs 8, 10. The disc 8 freely rotates on the shaft 7 and is free to slide axially on the shaft 7. It is biased toward the side wall 2 by a helical compression spring 16 interposed between the disc 8 and a cap nut 11 threadedly mounted on the free end of the shaft 7 which provides an adjustable abutment for the spring 16.

16in respective arcuate contact reas 18. While the disc 10 is being turned by its drive shaft 9, it causes the bar to move along the supporting surface of the plate 4 to advance in the direction of the arrow 22, the engaged disc 10 being thereby turned in the direction of the arrow 20 (FIG. 1).

' The two discs 8, 10 rotate in respective planes which converge upward in the illustrated operative condition of the feeding arrangement, and which converge forward in the direction of bar movement indicated by the arrow 22, and the discs rotate about respective axes which pass through the casing 1 below the plate 4. The force exerted by the driven disc 10 and the pressure disc 8 on the bar 6 in the areas of engagement 18, adjacent the top front quadrants of the discs, thus has a forward component which moves the bar 6 toward the non-illustrated polishing wheel, and a downward component which maintains sliding contact between the bar 6 and the plate 4 regardless of the vertical forces transmitted by the rotating polishing wheel to the end face of the bar 6 by friction. The bar 6 may be used up as long as it can be gripped by the edges 12, 14.

The casing 1 is mounted on a base 21 by means of a pivot 24 subjacent the front wall 3. The pivot 24 has a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the plate 4, and gravity normally holds the casing l in the illustrated position in which the bottom wall 23 of the casing 1 rests on a rib 25 of the base 21. If the feeding arrangement is operated manually, the casing 1 may be tilted clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1, for intermittent contact between the front face of the bar 6 and the non-illustrated polishing wheel. An analogous mode of operation may be achieved in automatic operation by intermittently driving the shaft 9, as by a timing switch in the energizing circuit of the gear m0- tor.

While the invention has been described with reference to a bar polishing composition which is gradually transferred to the circumference of a polishing wheel, the feeding arrangement of the invention lends itself to other applications in which a bar-shaped object is to be advanced longitudinally. Only minimal changes in the illustrated apparatus are needed to make it suitable for feeding a tool bit toward a grinding wheel for sharpening a cutting edge of the bit. Since the edges of the discs 8, 10 cannot bite into the even harder material of the tool bit, they may be provided with an anti-friction coating for transmitting the necessary forward and downward forces.

It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. feeding arrangement for a bar-shaped object comprising:

a. a support, said support in the normal operating position of said arrangement having an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction, said face being adapted to carry said object for sliding movement of the object in said direction; and

b. two discs mounted on said support for rotation in respective planes about respective axes passing through said support below said face in said condition of the arrangement,

1. said discs being oppositely offset from said face transverse to the direction of elongation of said face, and

2. said planes converging in an upward direction and in the direction of elongation of said face.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising drive means on said support for rotating one of said discs about the axis of rotation thereof.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said discs are circular about the respective axes of rotation and have respective frustoconical edges tapering in a direction toward said support.

4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein said edges are serrated.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, further comprising yieldably resilient means biasing one of said discs in the direction of the axis of rotation thereof toward said face.

6. An arrangement as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a bar of polishing composition slidably supported on said face, said composition being softer than the material of said discs and of said support, said discs having respective edges biting into said bar under the pressure of said yieldably resilient means.

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said face is planar.

8. A feeding arrangement for a bar-shaped object comprising:

a. a support, said support in the normal operating position of said arrangement having an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction, said face being adapted to carry said object for sliding movement of the object in said direction;

b. two discs mounted on said support for rotation in respective planes converging in an upward direction about respective axes passing through said support below said face in said condition of the arrangement,

1. said discs being oppositely offset from said face transverse to the direction of elongation of said face;

0. a base; and

d. means securing said support to said base for relative movement, said face moving in the direction of elongation thereof during said relative movement.

9. An arrangement as set forth in claim 8, said securing means including a pivot having an axis extending horizontally and transverse to said direction of elongation in said normal operating condition. 

1. A feeding arrangement for a bar-shaped object comprising: a. a support, said support in the normal operating position of said arrangement having an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction, said face being adapted to Carry said object for sliding movement of the object in said direction; and b. two discs mounted on said support for rotation in respective planes about respective axes passing through said support below said face in said condition of the arrangement,
 1. said discs being oppositely offset from said face transverse to the direction of elongation of said face, and
 2. said planes converging in an upward direction and in the direction of elongation of said face.
 2. said planes converging in an upward direction and in the direction of elongation of said face.
 2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising drive means on said support for rotating one of said discs about the axis of rotation thereof.
 3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said discs are circular about the respective axes of rotation and have respective frustoconical edges tapering in a direction toward said support.
 4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 3, wherein said edges are serrated.
 5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, further comprising yieldably resilient means biasing one of said discs in the direction of the axis of rotation thereof toward said face.
 6. An arrangement as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a bar of polishing composition slidably supported on said face, said composition being softer than the material of said discs and of said support, said discs having respective edges biting into said bar under the pressure of said yieldably resilient means.
 7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said face is planar.
 8. A feeding arrangement for a bar-shaped object comprising: a. a support, said support in the normal operating position of said arrangement having an upwardly directed face elongated in a horizontally extending direction, said face being adapted to carry said object for sliding movement of the object in said direction; b. two discs mounted on said support for rotation in respective planes converging in an upward direction about respective axes passing through said support below said face in said condition of the arrangement,
 9. An arrangement as set forth in claim 8, said securing means including a pivot having an axis extending horizontally and transverse to said direction of elongation in said normal operating condition. 